5 social media tips for charities

How charities use social media is a hot topic right now. Some charities are being left behind, stuck in traditional ways, as others embrace it. A recent article for the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network shares views on social media from digital experts. They all recognise it as an important tool, even if is not seen as the be-all and end-all of supporter communication.

Below are five tips for charities to bear in mind when thinking about social media and how to use it:

Understand the reason for using it. Some social channels are better at doing things than others. Be clear on the purpose of each.

Socialise. Engage with your supports by involving them in conversation. Ask them what they think.

Keep it interesting and relevant. Anything you post should stand out and be something that your supporters want to hear about. Reserve tweets about what you had for breakfast to your personal Twitter account, for example.

Measure social media activity. You can tell a lot from the amount of retweets or shares – it can show what type of content is best received by your audience.

Go the whole hog. If you’re going to invest in social media, you might as well do it properly. You’ll need to hire staff who know what they’re doing. The results will show!